Fantasy Football Top 10: Week 11
BOSTON (CBS) – Each week 98.5 The Sports Hub's Nick Cattles will bring you 10 things he noticed from the week in Fantasy Football, and how it will all help your team.
10) The Trickle Down Affect – With the news of Matt Schaub's likely season ending injury, it shouldn't be just Schaub owners who need to be concerned…so should Arian Foster, Owen Daniels and Andre Johnson owners. With Schaub out, defenses will key on the run. And, unless Matt Leinart is ready to do something he couldn't in Arizona, the receiving weapons in Houston will also be affected. That's if Andre Johnson ever gets back on the field (likely to happen after the bye).
9) The Beginning of The End – Cincinnati lost their battle with Pittsburgh last weekend, but that's not all they lost. Leon Hall, their top corner and a big reason for their defensive effectiveness, blew his Achilles and is out for the remainder of the season. Add that to the concerning "tweak" of AJ Green's knee and Cincy will be affected on both sides of the ball going forward. And, with their upcoming schedule, that likely doesn't bode well.
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8) The Rebirth of Beast Mode? – I'll admit, I'm a big time Marshawn Lynch fan. But, I never advised people to pick him anywhere near the top half of their drafts, because his team usually stinks. Seattle looked like it'd elicit the same results. Well, Lynch has actually grown into a viable #2 RB and flex play over the past few weeks. Even though his average yards per carry isn't sterling, if he gets 32 carries like he did against Baltimore, he's bound to give you something.
7) Defense is Back in Chicago – The Bears started off the year slowly, but they're making up for that recently. Not only are the special teams clicking, including the ridiculous Devin Hester, but so is their defensive unit. This past week against the high-powered Detroit offense should really get owners interested. Look for Chicago to be one of the better starting defenses down the stretch.
6) 49'ers Might Be Good, but Fantasy Well Isn't Deep – Aside from Frank Gore, who's a top RB this season in fantasy, the San Francisco 49'ers have relied on their defense which makes other fantasy options limited. The receiving corps isn't anything to write home about nor is the inconsistent Vernon Davis. The 49'ers are the 29th worst pass offense (yards per game) in the NFL heading into week 11. Try to stay away from anyone, but Gore and this team's impressive defense.
5) The Jets Are Still the Jets – Yeah the Jets were playing better as they approached their game versus the Patriots on Sunday, but for fantasy purposes they're still sketchy. Shonn Greene still hasn't impressed this writer and Mark Sanchez is a guy who's overhyped, while underperforming. Plaxico Burress is an OK WR #2 or Flex play and Santonio Holmes is good enough to play in PPR leagues. Just don't count on any of these Jets, week in and week out.
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4) No Matter Who's Back There, They Run – The Oakland Raiders have spent most of the season as a top-5 rush offense. And, apparently, that's not all due to the extremely talented, albeit fragile, Darren McFadden. All Michael Bush did in McFadden's absence this past Sunday was run for over 150 yards and a TD. If that wasn't enough, Bush also caught 3 passes for 85 yards. Oakland will stick with the run game and you should stick with whoever is slated to get the totes.
3) Trouble in Buffalo? – The Buffalo Bills have started to show warts and surely fantasy owners are starting to get a little nervous. I'm just not sure why. If you own Fred Jackson, he'll be fine. He hasn't given you huge games over the past couple of weeks, but if you look inside the matchups and numbers, you'll feel better. Against a good Jets defense (forget that Pats game, they're good), Jackson had well over 100 total yards. And, this past weekend was an example of a running back being penalized because his team's down by a million. Although he had a lack of carries (13), he still ended up with over 100 yards rushing. Also, his receiving numbers weren't great, but that doesn't stop the fact that he still caught four passes out of the backfield. He'll usually make more of those chances. As for Ryan Fitzpatrick, he's always been a matchup play in my eyes and won't be a top-10 quarterback every week. Stevie Johnson, as long as he's healthy, will remain a solid #2 WR.
2) A Mediocre Offense Will Only Get Worse – First, Jamaal Charles. If that wasn't enough, now, Matt Cassel goes down. You don't have to be a genius to know that the Kansas City Chiefs offense is now in trouble. Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston's value goes down significantly, unless Tyler Palko shocks the world and zips it around the field. Don't quite count on it.
1) Philadelphia Has A Lot of Culture…They Also Have a Ton of Injuries – DeSean Jackson misses a meeting and sits. Then, the Eagles come out of their game vs. Arizona as a shell of themselves. Michael Vick broke two ribs and might be mediocre, at best, for several weeks. And, Jeremy Maclin has an AC shoulder separation that could limit him for a couple of weeks. At least LeSean McCoy is OK….for now.
Tune in to The Progress Software Fantasy Football Show every Sunday at 9am on 98.5 The Sports Hub. You can follow the show on twitter @SportsHubFantFB and keep up with Nick Cattles @NickCattles.
